Peters



J. H. Gv. WATTS. 4EleotrczLl-'SWitch Pin.

No. 223,969.. Patented Jan). V27, 1880.

` UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

J. HENRY C. AWATTS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH-PIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 223,969, dated January27, 1880.

Application filed December 23, 18 79.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, J. HENRY O. WATTS, ofBaltimore city, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Switch-Pins and I hereby declare the same to be fully,clearly, and exactly described as follows, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in wllich- Figure l is a side elevation of thedevice; Fig. 2, a central longitudinal sectional view of the same.

My invention relates to that class of devices in use for closingcircuiton telegraphic or telephonie switch-boards; and it has for its object tofurnisha device for the purpose named so constructed as to retain itselfsecurely in the switch-board, and be not liable to become displaced fromthe hole by accidental jars or jolts. Y

Switchboard pins have heretofore generally been furnished withcylindrical tips cleft longitudinally at right angles, so as to beeompressible and bind against the metallic edges of the switch-boardholes when thrust therein. As a-result the tips of the pins, when inplace, were tapering, and this taper became permanent as the metal ofwhich the tips were composed gradually lost its resiliency from constantor intermittent use. ln

any case, even when the pins were new, the resultant of the thrustsagainst the edges `of the switch-board holes was outward from the board,so that the security of the pins'was represented by the dierence betweenthis force and the coefficient of friction, and the pins were liable tofall out of the holes. I obviate this tendency by so constructing thepins that they tend to press into the holes instead of outward, and theresult of jars or jolts to the switch-board is to settle the pins, ifpossible, more firmly in the holes. This I effect by providing the pinwith an enlarged resilient tip, whereby the thrust against the edges ofthe switch-hole is such as totend to draw the pin into the hole,understood.

' In the accompanying drawings, A is the connecting-wire, and B thehandle of the pin,

' constructed, by preference, of hard rubber or is attached to thehandle'B, and is screwed as will readily be' into the part b', which isintegral with the tip e. The 'connection A is led through. thecentral-hole of the handle, and itsmetallic core being laid bare andtied ina knot, akthe parts b b are screwedl together, compressing theknot against the metallic faces and insuring electric connection, whileincidentally furnishing a neat and secure means of attaching theconnection A to the pin.

The part b is milled at O to afford facility for screwing the partstogether or separating them. l

The tip e is cylindrical, and is slotted 1ongtudinally, as shown. In theslot is pivoted at c a tongue, c', which is normally thrust outward, asshown in Fig. l, by means of the spring E.

Fis the switch-board, having metallic plates f f, as usual.

The operation of the device will have been made evident from theforegoing description of its construction. Being forced into theswitch-board hole, the spring-tongue e is somewhat depressed in theslot-closing circuit between the plates f j'. That part of the tipwithin the hole is, however, larger than the part without it, and thepin is securely retained in place. Y

Especially is the device of importance when used on a telephonieswitchboard, where there is a constant liability to displace the pins,due to the interlacing and contact of the connections A, ajerk being aptto be communi-` cated to several pins whose connections are in contactwith that of a removed from the board.

Instead of having the tongue pivoted in a slot in the tip, it may simplyshut down upon it; but the described construction is preferred, as itprevents any lateral displacement of the tongue with reference to thetip.`

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A switchpin having a resilient tongue pivoted within or upon its tip,as setforth.

2. A switch-pin having a longitudinallyT slotted tip and a tongue, e',pivoted therein, and normally thrust outward by means of a spring, asset forth.

' J. HENRY O. WATTS.

Witnesses:

R. D. WILLIAMs, FRED E. WAIT.

pin which is being IOO

